September 23, 2012

Dear Family,

Its great to hear that everything is going well back home. Well this last week has really been an interesting one. We didn't have a whole lot of time to be out working. We spent a lot of time traveling this last week. First we went to a zone conference with Elder Yamashita from the Quroum of the Seventy. It was an amazing conference. I have a bunch of notes from it that I will spend time reviewing. He also talked about what our real goal is and it's not just getting people to baptism. Its to the end of the path that comes after the ordinance. We hope that the people we talk to and help will be able to endure to the end. Whether it is someone who knows nothing about the gospel or someone who might have strayed from the path. There are so many people that we can help.

The power of the word of God is amazing. It can have such a great effect on our lives. We can find it in the scriptures or from the words of our prophet and apostles. I have felt its effect in my life. Just hearing the word and the doctrines of the gospel from the conference this last week has given me a greater desire to do my best. Pres. Gustafson also taught us about spiritual experiences and how we should treasure them. We need to be grateful that Heavenly Father has given those oppurtunities to us.

This week we also had the chance to go to the temple. It is always great to go to the temple and feel the spirit there. I enjoy sitting in the temple and thinking about all the many blessings I have received from my Father in Heaven. This last week has really just been a huge spiritual boost.

One thing we started doing this last week also is we started making these chocolate oreo ball cookies, that are really delicious by the way, and have been giving them to members. It has been a lot of fun seeing the members and having a good time with them. We also had a great lesson with one of our progressing investigators the other day. She has been keeping all of her commitments and you can already tell there has been a change. She ended our lesson with a prayer and it was great to hear just how much her prayers have progressed also from the first time she said one.

Well it has been another amazing week in the mission field. There are always good, great, amazing, wonderful things happening around us all the time. I'm so grateful for all of your love and support and especially your prayers. Thank you. I love you all so much and pray for you everyday.

Love Elder Joseph Gandy
ギャンディ　ジョセフ　長老

Dear Family,

To start off so there was a big typhoon that hit a lot of the mission. A lot of missionaries were stuck in their apartments but everyone is fine. We were on the edge of it and we didn't even notice because it passed us while we were sleeping. So I still haven't experienced one yet.

So Elder Peterson's new companion came. His name is Elder Harvey and he said he grew up in the Westchester ward for a little bit. He is wondering if you know Gordon or Lou Bailey because they are his grandparents. So that would be kind of funny and interesting.

Well this last week has been a good week. We got asked by one of our investigators if we would go help her out with a singing workshop at a high school. So we went and sang amazing grace with her. It was an interesting experience to say the least. This lady has been an investigator for the last twelve years but she seems like a member. She just hasn't received baptism yet. So we are trying to help her get to that point. We also have another investigator who came to church yesterday. We set a baptismal date with her and she seems to be progressing pretty well.

We had a really good week. My Japanese study has been improving and I've been working on doing lesson mastery's. We basically teach the lessons one by one until we can pass them off. So that has been helping a lot recently. I definately feel more comfortable in teaching lessons now. I also decided my motto for this transfer is "Leave No Stone Unturned." Elder Allen has been a great example of just talking to everyone. Up to now I have been kind of nervous because I don't have the best Japanese. But now I'm ready to just go go go. My desire to serve our Heavenly Father's children grows everyday. It has been an amazing transfer so far. We are working with less actives and members a lot. It has been a lot of fun we have been making cookies also for people. I love doing service and all the different ways we can do it. I love you all and pray for you everyday.

Love Elder Gandy

Dear Family,

Wow this week has flown by. We have been working really hard this last week. We did a really good job at sharing the gospel with everyone. Unfortunately we haven't been able to find any new investigators yet.

It has been really busy because I have been teaching Elder Allen the area and we are also working in another area on top of that. Its alright though because this last week we got help from the zone leaders. It was fun working with them. I also had the chance to work with a bean for a little bit who was in the MTC with Braden. He told me that his Japanese was super good. No doubt it is most likely better than mine. He was always really good.

When I was streeting with the bean everyone that I contacted wouldn't listen. So I told him that he should do the next contact. I don't know what it is but new missionaries have this special power to make people listen to them. Trust me I remember and now I miss those times. Anyways he could only get so far since he had only been in Japan for a week. So I helped him and we taught a lesson. It might of not been a very good lesson especially because my Japanese isn't that good but hey miracles happen.

Another awesome thing that happened this week was I got to go to sacrament meeting in Beppu. It was only the third time they have had the meeting there. It was held in a member's front room. It was funny because I never thought I would go to a sacrament meeting not wearing shoes. But now they are going to be having it over there every week. Its cool to see the church just grow. The hope is someday that where I'm working right now will become its own stake. I really do enjoy the work and want to keep working hard. I love you all so very much.

Love Elder Gandy

Dear Family,

I really enjoyed that last e-mail you sent. It sounds like a lot of great news. I'm excited to hear more about what else is going on. Well this last week has been really good. My new companion is Elder Allen. He only has a couple transfers left. He just came down from being a zone leader. I'm super excited to be working with him he is a great person. He is also half Japanese. I found out that his older brother served in Sapporo also. He and Daniel would have been there for about a year at the same time.

During this last week our apartment is now a three man for the time being. Elder Peterson's comp. should be coming soon. He went home for a transfer for medical reasons but is now coming back out. But for now the three of us are working together. We have to work and divide our time between two area's. Its going to be a little rough but will keep us super busy. I'm also the shortest out of all of them by a long shot.

This last week has been a lot of fun. We are going to be celebrating Kiffer's birthday here because it is also the same as Elder Peterson's. But wish him a happy birthday for me still. We still have some good investigators we are working with so hopefully we can help them as much as we can. We visited with the lady we baptized and she is still doing really well. She already seems like she has been a member for a long time.

Well we have been planning a lot of different activities so we will hopefully have more news coming up in the near future. I don't have a whole lot of time to e-mail today but I love you all and pray for you everyday.

Love Elder Gandy